This homemade Yum Yum Sauce Recipe is a delectable, savory, easy seven-ingredient Japanese Hibachi sauce that comes together in less than five minutes. It is just as tasty as the one you get at those expensive Japanese Hibachi Restaurants but at a fraction of the cost.
I love dipping my pork dumplings, egg rolls, and chicken and broccoli stir fry into this sauce. It is so delicious! You are going to love it! This sauce is best after one to two days, so a little advanced preparation is in order.
One of our favorite restaurants is a Japanese Steakhouse about twenty minutes from the house. We love the whole experience, from the chef cooking and entertaining us to the delectable fried rice, seafood, crispy cooked vegetables, and tender, juicy chicken. My family is particularly fond of this addictive, famous Japanese Steakhouse sauce. We love to dip our shrimp and fried rice in this yummy sauce.
We can’t always go to the hibachi grills as much as we would like to. Sometimes, it is the weather, but most of the time, we must be frugal and watch our budget. You can make this delicious recipe right in your kitchen at a fraction of the price of dinner at the Japanese Steakhouse.
What is Yum Yum Sauce?
Also known as White Sauce, Sakura Sauce, Seafood Sauce, or pale pink sauce, this dipping sauce is commonly found in Japanese steak houses. It takes about five minutes to prepare, and its main ingredient is Japanese mayonnaise. You can make it with mayo from your local grocery store if it is unavailable. I have had success with the taste of both Hellmann’s and Duke’s mayonnaise.
It is so yummy that we enjoy dunking our hibachi vegetables, such as broccoli and zucchini, in it. We also like to dip French fries in it. We use it as a condiment on grilled hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches, and salad dressing.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise is preferably Japanese mayo like Kewpie, but I have also made it with Duke’s, which is still delicious.
- Ketchup: organic or sugar-free
- Rice vinegar: apple cider vinegar would be the next closest match
- Mirin: If you have trouble finding mirin, use white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth and a bit of sugar.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne if you like a little heat
Preparation Tips
- To substitute for mirin, mix 1 tablespoon of white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Tomato paste can be substituted for the ketchup, but you may want to include 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar to sweeten it a little.
- Add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.
- If the sauce is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of cold water until the desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
- Main meal: sushi, grilled shrimp, steak, grilled chicken, chicken fried rice, and moo shu pork
- Appetizers: fried wontons, crab rangoon, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, gyoza, and onion rings.
- Sides: stir fry vegetables, lo mein, sweet potato fries, and steamed broccoli.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. However, they are so quick and easy to make that you can mix up a fresh batch anytime.
Yum Yum Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise preferably Japanese mayo like Kewpie
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin see notes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons cool water
Instructions
- Whisk together mayo, ketchup, rice vinegar, mirin, garlic powder, paprika, and water. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Notes
- As a substitute for mirin, mix 1 tablespoon white wine, dry sherry, or vermouth with 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Tomato paste can be substituted, but you may want to include 1-3 teaspoons of granulated sugar to sweeten it a little.
- Add a couple pinches of cayenne pepper for a little extra kick.
- If the sauce is too thick to your liking, add 1 teaspoon cold water until desired consistency.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Nutrition
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Jessica
Such a great and verstile condiment! I even use it as salad dressing.
Michelle
OMG you’re my hero! The yum yum sauce is the best part of hibachi grills and now I can make it at home!
Dannii
Oh wow, I love this stuff. I really need to make it myself.
Sisley White
I’ve never tried this but I think i have found my next kitchen experiment. This looks so good.
Catherine
Here is a sauce I’ve not had in ages but as the name suggests, it certainly is yummy! This is perfect alongside a lot of different dishes and even drizzled over salad!
Jessica
Such a great recipe. My family begs for it every time we have shrimp or scallops.
Renee Goerger
This sauce is so easy to make and yet packs a powerful punch of YUM!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Kushigalu
This sauce is something new to me. Aounds amazingly delicious. Pinned to try this.
Adrianne
Oh yum!! What a super quick recipe. Those shrimp look to die for! I can’t wait tor try this, yum, yum, right? Haha xxxxx
Tracy
My family is ADDICTED to this sauce!! We love this so much!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Tracy! So glad that you like the sauce!!
Bhawana
This sauce looks a perfect dip during parties or any small gathering. Mirin is a new ingredient to me, will search about it more.
Denay
Homemade yum yum sauce is so darn good! It’s way better than the bottled stuff!
Brandi
The recipe is great, however, I’ve always had a little sweeter yum yum sauce. I added 3 tablespoons of mirin and an additional teaspoon of paprika to get the exact flavor of the restaurant yum yum sauce. So good! Thank you for posting this recipe!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips Brandi! Glad that you liked it!
Michael
Add a teaspoon of sesame oil
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Michael!
T
Love yum-yum sauce. What is the best paprika to use? There are so many different ones.
Beth Pierce
For this recipe just use the standard sweet paprika. It is usually just labeled paprika.
Linnea
Making this for valentines day fondue! Just a question though! How long would this keep do you think? (Assuming i keep my hands off of it lol)
Beth Pierce
I would say up to about 3-4 days. It is delicious! Good luck keeping your hands off of it.